h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It may be addictive but it doesn't kill 9to the best of my knowledge), which is what the A's tend to be about these days.
As it's main derivative is amphetamine, which is B, it'd be very difficult to put Ritalin in A.

All the more reason to reclassify ecstasy as Class B, since none of what was just written applies to Ecstasy - as long as precautions are taken.

Ecstasy kills.
Often, and completely at random.
Lab tests suggest as little as two doses can cause permament brain damage. Ecstasy is possibly *the* most dangerous of the Class A drugs, mostly because people believe you can take pre-cautions against dying from it.

I agree BS.

It can cause massive dehydration because it affects the bodies temperature control mechanisms, however conversly if you drink too much water it also causes physiological problems, such as the build up of fluid round the brain.

Whilst it is easy to say when you are straight that you will take appropriate precautions when you are high it is more difficult - the recommended maximum intake of water is 500ml per hour when on ecstasy given that time perception is affected how will you know?

About half a million people take it every week. I think about 60 or so people died from Ecstasy use last year. Nearly all deaths from ecstasy are associated with dehyration / overheating or overhydration. Very few are simply due to the toxicity of MDMA.

yes Jack - but that is a direct consequence of taking the drug surely?

the drug itself may not be toxic but the physiological and psychological effects may well be catastrophic.

My own personal view is that we should legalise all drugs and treat addicts as patients not criminals. Then at least we can feel reasonably secure about the composition, qualit, etc. however, if we were ever to go this route we would also have to ensure that we properly educated people as to the risks etc.

I agree, Ross. More education as to the dangers of drugs, and if possible, spot lab tests so people know what they're taking would certainly be good ideas.

The first thing that is needed before Mdma and MDEA can be legalized is long term tests about the affects on the brain.

I have only taken ecstasy once and it was possibly the most frightening experience of my life - I ended up unconscious on the floor of the ladies loos of the club I was in. Never again.

Don't worry Mina, my Mum had me put on Amphetamine Sulphate when I was 6 years old!

apparently she had *some* trouble getting out of some Pharmacists

I would have to go with Blues Shark on the hard drug debate.
I have experienced the hard drug scene in having my house burgled 3 times in 6 months a couple of years back.

When they caught the guy it turned out he was already in Prison and was a £100 a day (or thereabouts) crack addict. As far as the police were concerned virtually *all* the crime they had to deal with was drug related.

Hopefully this act will allow the Police to concentrate on the *real* problems of Crack and Heroin.

With regards to long term effects, I used to work with a guy who took it weekly and had been doing so for about four years. He was starting to experience real problems with his eye to hand coordination and memory.

Again, I agree - the most frightening thing about Ecstasy is that no-one knows the long-term effects. I'm sitting on the fence about legalisation until more is known.

As a thought what are the long term health effects of eating a Donner Kebab a couple of times a week?

Well I am sure it doesn't make you forget why you are in the fast lane of the M1!

My mate had a nice one with some broken glass in a number of years ago, so I'd put them in the possible health risk category, for now.

I think a big problem with ecstasy is again the fact it is supplied on the black market.

If the drugs that are supplied are clean, then people have the ability to make up their own minds about whether to indulge. As long as the ingredients of the drugs are clear to the user, and the user is educated as to what the possible ill effects are, then it should surely be up to the user to accept the responsibility of using it or not.

I have to disagree about ecstasy being a class A drug. I've only indluged a couple of times myself and I can't say I enjoyed it particularly, but the amount of people I've seen munching them like sweets shows that regardless of potential harm, what is the point of criminalising this many people? It will be taken anyway in massive quantities, even with stiff penalties for possession and supply. The current drugs policy simply does not work. It beggars belief that the politicians who stick by these laws will criminalise so many people and then have the cheek to turn around and wonder why no-one votes for mainstream parties anymore.

Still the is a strange old place isn't it.

The thing I don't understand about Ecstasy is that coming down is so horrendous and lasts days! Is that honestly worth it for a few hours of being ecstatic happily?

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Excess is, as usual, the greatest danger. I've only ever taken one at a time. The comedowns I've had have been a bit dodgy, but not horrendous. I'd say most users would feel the same. Personally, the most beneficial effect for me has been a slight alteration of perspective, rather than a few hours' gooning around.

Amphetamines can be class A or class B depending on what state the substance is in - if it's prepared for IV it's class A.

One of the safest illegal drugs is Heroin, one can take it all ones life, in regularly in relatively large quantities and suffer no ill effects provided that the drug is pure.

There are only a handfull of ecstacy related deaths in which alcohol is not implicated. One may as well ban paracetamol because you can't mix it with vodka.

Under "The English System" - the old British policy of doctors being able to sell prescriptions to heroin addicted patients, there was little or no resort to crime to pay for ones habit, partially because they didn't come directly in contact with criminals so much and develop a contempt for the law through the criminalisation of their behaviour, and secondly because the drug was easier to obtain the hunt for it didn't become a lifestyle - if you're not spending all day trying to score you can still hold down a job. Many addicts fill their otherwise empty lives with the hunt for drugs, every day a ritual of finding out who's holding, scoring, finding someone/where to take the stuff, and then repeat. Ironically, though The English System is widely discouraged, it is not illegal, and private doctors and clinics catering to the affluent still prescribe to addicts, who then go on to maintain executive positions and prominent social lives.